Grand Illusion Cinema is running low on cash

After closing suddenly in 2007 to fix a roof problem, and then urgently fundraising in 2008, the city’s best place to watch, say, a Hungarian opera film riffing off Joan of Arc is again asking for money.

The non-profit, volunteer-run, indie theater – billed as the city’s oldest continuously running movie house – is pleading for money, after some slow months of attendance and a dip in memberships.

“Funding is running low for us this summer,” says the theater’s website.

“If you enjoy the classy, unique atmosphere and eclectic programming we offer, consider becoming a member. For us, it’s an immediate cash infusion to help us stay afloat.”

Manager Brian Alter said the theater, a tiny space that feels like someone’s living room, had a lot of empty seats in May and June. He attributed that to a few possible things: The economy, competition of other indie houses, and the neighborhood, which has been wilting from street and crime woes on the nearby Ave.

“We were showing Charlie Chaplin’s ‘Monsieur Verdoux,’ which is up there as far as classic films go, and it just flopped,” Alter said of the theater, which opened in 1968.

“No one came to see it.”

But he was hopeful that film lovers will turn out for his upcoming line-up, which includes a couple of John Waters movies and the movie “Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo,” about Japan’s fascination with insects.